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In It to Win It

(10,619 posts)
Mon May 12, 2025, 01:51 PM May 12

Episcopal Church refuses to resettle white Afrikaners, ends partnership with US government

(RNS) — In a striking move that ends a nearly four-decades-old relationship between the federal government and the Episcopal Church, the denomination announced on Monday (May 12) that it is terminating its partnership with the government to resettle refugees, citing moral opposition to resettling white Afrikaners from South Africa who have been classified as refugees by President Donald Trump’s administration.

In a letter sent to members of the church, the Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe — the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church — said that two weeks ago the government “informed Episcopal Migration Ministries that under the terms of our federal grant, we are expected to resettle white Afrikaners from South Africa whom the U.S. government has classified as refugees.”

The request, Rowe said, crossed a moral line for the Episcopal Church, which is part of the global Anglican Communion that boasts among its leaders the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a celebrated and vocal opponent of apartheid in South Africa.

“In light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step,” Rowe wrote. “Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government.”

Rowe stressed that while Episcopal Migration Ministries will seek to “wind down all federally funded services by the end of the federal fiscal year in September,” the denomination will continue to support immigrants and refugees in other ways, such as offering aid to refugees who have already been resettled.

https://religionnews.com/2025/05/12/episcopal-church-ends-refugee-resettlement-citing-moral-opposition-to-resettling-white-afrikaners/
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Episcopal Church refuses to resettle white Afrikaners, ends partnership with US government (Original Post) In It to Win It May 12 OP
Good for them. underpants May 12 #1
K&R spanone May 12 #2
That's my churcn wryter2000 May 12 #3
Yea me too... LiberalArkie May 12 #9
Going to be mine soon, too. ShazzieB May 12 #25
The Episcopal welcomes you wryter2000 May 12 #31
Was mine A HERETIC I AM May 12 #32
My atheist husband wryter2000 May 12 #36
Bishop John Shelby Spong -- His last public lecture Celerity May 12 #44
Thanks very much for that! A HERETIC I AM May 12 #51
yw! Celerity May 12 #52
I remember that name! electric_blue68 May 12 #58
NIce! Welcome obamanut2012 May 12 #39
Falling in love with my church more each day! maspaha May 12 #4
That's my Church! obamanut2012 May 12 #5
Good for them. sheshe2 May 12 #6
There's an institution that talks the talk and walks the walk. I am going to bet that the members Raven May 12 #7
The moral thing to do. Nevilledog May 12 #8
I went to a local Episcopal Church a few times in the past, this makes me want to go there again... wcmagumba May 12 #10
And as a side benefit, a person does get a fair amount of exercise in.. LiberalArkie May 12 #12
Gawd help you EYESORE 9001 May 12 #22
That's why the bullletins at the Episcopal Church I've been attending always say "kneel or sit as you are able." 😉 ShazzieB May 12 #28
i do the episcopal crouch.( half kneal , half sit) AllaN01Bear May 12 #40
AKA "Virginia kneeling" Jilly_in_VA May 12 #56
lol. AllaN01Bear May 12 #61
Always do the Baptist position LiberalArkie May 12 #30
The rector honestly won't care obamanut2012 May 12 #14
That's good to hear! ShazzieB May 12 #29
Nice! obamanut2012 May 12 #41
Anglican church in the US wryter2000 May 12 #38
I'm agnostic wryter2000 May 12 #33
Enough is enough orangecrush May 12 #11
I am an Episcopalian myself Mountain Mule May 12 #13
And also with you! CapnSteve May 12 #15
Excellent!!! LovelyStuff May 12 #16
Remember the priest who more or less chastised Trump at the Washington Cathedral of the LiberalArkie May 12 #17
All churches should do the same. ananda May 12 #18
Maybe I need to start going to church again. Ocelot II May 12 #19
💕💕 So much appreciation Hekate May 12 #20
The Golden Idol Party is losing its monopoly on religion Torchlight May 12 #21
"The Golden Idol Party"! I like that! calimary May 12 #64
I expected the new town of Starbase, TX to take them all in. tanyev May 12 #23
Yay, Episcopal Church Lulu KC May 12 #24
Glad to hear it. Martin68 May 12 #26
Excellent news malaise May 12 #27
Bravo! oasis May 12 #34
TEC is definitely NOT White Nationalist! Jilly_in_VA May 12 #35
Frozen Chosen... I had to look that up. Always something new to learn. Norrrm May 12 #42
It tends to rarely be true anymore obamanut2012 May 12 #53
Frozen Chosen conjures up this lonely bird May 12 #54
This message was self-deleted by its author AStern May 12 #37
Bravo, Episcopalians. Well done. (nt) Paladin May 12 #43
Like many others in this thread, that is my church as well BumRushDaShow May 12 #45
Fox Snooz will report this customerserviceguy May 12 #46
Remember Ebrahim Rasool, the ambassador who was expelled from the US a couple of months ago? tornado34jh May 12 #47
Proud to be an Episcopal JBTaurus83 May 12 #48
Very impressive xuplate May 12 #49
The US has a long history of denying economic refugees entry Warpy May 12 #50
No church Rebl2 May 12 #55
Excellent! I'm so glad to see a church follow Jesus RainCaster May 12 #57
Excellent! One of my 2 favorite churches in NYC: St John The Divine Cathedral is Episcopalian. Gogeous building with.... electric_blue68 May 12 #59
Makes me proud to be an Episcopalian! n/t markpkessinger May 12 #60
Well done....... Hotler May 12 #62
I was baptized Episcopalian...in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. sir pball May 12 #63
I am so happy to see a large, mainstream church slightlv May 12 #65
Good for them! mountain grammy May 13 #66

ShazzieB

(20,749 posts)
25. Going to be mine soon, too.
Mon May 12, 2025, 03:08 PM
May 12

Last edited Mon May 12, 2025, 06:20 PM - Edit history (1)

I have been attending services at an Episcopal Church for a while now, and am looking into becoming a member. News like this makes me feel really good about my choice!

A HERETIC I AM

(24,786 posts)
32. Was mine
Mon May 12, 2025, 03:30 PM
May 12

Baptized and confirmed (in the National Cathedral in DC, no less!) and attended those churches on 3 continents.

The late Bishop John Shelby Spong was a great voice of reason in the Episcopal Church.

I'm Atheist now, but I have some fond memories from my days in the church.

A HERETIC I AM

(24,786 posts)
51. Thanks very much for that!
Mon May 12, 2025, 04:18 PM
May 12

I saved that one for later on my YouTube channel. I created a file called “long form“ specifically for videos like that. Thank you very very much. I really do appreciate it.

He was an amazing man and a true voice of reason.

He was one of the few guests that Bill Maher had on as an exclusive guest for a whole hour on his show.

I remember one question that Maher asked him that went something like “what do you think of the predictions of the rapture and all that”

Spong said “ Not much! If you took away Revelations and the book of Daniel, the tent preachers would have nothing to go on about!”


I nearly fell off my chair when he said that!

Raven

(14,269 posts)
7. There's an institution that talks the talk and walks the walk. I am going to bet that the members
Mon May 12, 2025, 02:10 PM
May 12

of this Church step up and fill the gap.

wcmagumba

(3,963 posts)
10. I went to a local Episcopal Church a few times in the past, this makes me want to go there again...
Mon May 12, 2025, 02:16 PM
May 12

I'm more of an agnostic than a devout believer but I did like some things about the church and its services...

ShazzieB

(20,749 posts)
28. That's why the bullletins at the Episcopal Church I've been attending always say "kneel or sit as you are able." 😉
Mon May 12, 2025, 03:13 PM
May 12

Sometimes I can kneel just fine; other times my knees object.

obamanut2012

(28,480 posts)
14. The rector honestly won't care
Mon May 12, 2025, 02:20 PM
May 12

Last edited Mon May 12, 2025, 03:46 PM - Edit history (1)

They are there for you however you need them to be. Just don't say the Nicene Creed if you don't believe it and it makes yo uncomfortable to say.

Just make sure it is an actual Episcopal Church and not ACNA. They are an anti LGBT anti women clergy offshoot that are pretty bad.

ShazzieB

(20,749 posts)
29. That's good to hear!
Mon May 12, 2025, 03:21 PM
May 12

I've reached out to the rector of the church I've been attending about joining, and will be meeting with him soon. I love going to church there and want to make it official, but I'm not really comfortable saying I believe every single word of the Nicene creed literally.

The church is definitely TEC, not ACNA, btw!

wryter2000

(47,844 posts)
33. I'm agnostic
Mon May 12, 2025, 03:33 PM
May 12

My church welcomes nonbelievers. You have to respect the faith of the other people around you, but you don't have to subscribe to everything that's said.

Mountain Mule

(1,145 posts)
13. I am an Episcopalian myself
Mon May 12, 2025, 02:19 PM
May 12

This makes me feel very proud of our church. As if the Tr**p regime actually cared about genuine refugees. Oh, please.

LiberalArkie

(18,293 posts)
17. Remember the priest who more or less chastised Trump at the Washington Cathedral of the
Mon May 12, 2025, 02:24 PM
May 12

Episcopal Diocese of DC. She is Episcopal..They do not shy away from controversy. Or very seldom do.

ananda

(31,862 posts)
18. All churches should do the same.
Mon May 12, 2025, 02:28 PM
May 12

But I expect there are some Magat churches
that would cater to white racists.

Ocelot II

(124,928 posts)
19. Maybe I need to start going to church again.
Mon May 12, 2025, 02:48 PM
May 12

The Episcopal cathedral I used to attend is pretty woke.

Torchlight

(4,675 posts)
21. The Golden Idol Party is losing its monopoly on religion
Mon May 12, 2025, 03:04 PM
May 12

Well okay, not so much losing their religion as consciously denying its tenets, in other words, apostasy. But I'm fully confident they'll blame anyone and everyone except themselves.

calimary

(86,458 posts)
64. "The Golden Idol Party"! I like that!
Mon May 12, 2025, 08:50 PM
May 12

No golden calf this time, though. Now it’s a “Golden Ass”. And the donald is betting you’ll fixate on the “golden” part, and not the big ass behind it.

Jilly_in_VA

(11,978 posts)
35. TEC is definitely NOT White Nationalist!
Mon May 12, 2025, 03:35 PM
May 12

Yes, I'm Orthodox now, but a part of my heart is still there as I grew up in that church and my kids were baptized and grew up in it also. I'd probably still be a member if the church here wasn't such a bunch of Frozen Chosen.

obamanut2012

(28,480 posts)
53. It tends to rarely be true anymore
Mon May 12, 2025, 04:33 PM
May 12

TEC are encouraged to be part of the community, and have been a leader in helping immigrants, refugees, LGBT+, the unhoused, teh environment, etc. Not every Episcopal Church is as active as ours, I'm sure, but we constantly ahve something going on that includes both the community outside teh church walls.

We are also part of a group that includes other local TEC, Lutheran ELCA, and Methodists that help one another with this.

I am in Sacramento.

lonely bird

(2,329 posts)
54. Frozen Chosen conjures up this
Mon May 12, 2025, 05:10 PM
May 12

Change?

My Grandmother donated that ( fill in the blank).

All seriousness aside we go the the Episcopal church. My wife directs the choir. I was voluntold that I was in the choir 😉😁. My wife was raised Roman Catholic. Long story about why she left but she feels the Episcopal church is home.

Response to In It to Win It (Original post)

BumRushDaShow

(153,309 posts)
45. Like many others in this thread, that is my church as well
Mon May 12, 2025, 03:53 PM
May 12

Just got my latest set of Pledge envelopes in the mail today too.

People might recall the spat that the Rt. Rev. Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde has had with 45.

tornado34jh

(1,478 posts)
47. Remember Ebrahim Rasool, the ambassador who was expelled from the US a couple of months ago?
Mon May 12, 2025, 04:00 PM
May 12

I think what is going on here proves he was right. It is all about white supremacism.

Warpy

(113,447 posts)
50. The US has a long history of denying economic refugees entry
Mon May 12, 2025, 04:18 PM
May 12

no matter how horrendous the situation is in their home country.

This is Elon Musk putting "his" people at the head of the line, against refugees fleeing violence and certain murder if they go back.

I can't deny that the Afrikaaners who ended up on the wrong side of a lot of necessary reforms in South Africa are living in terrible conditions--in squats, in makeshift shacks in parks, about what you'd see in any big US city. The difference between their poverty and poverty in Haiti or El Salvador is a relative lack of organized murder.

Musk could well afford to build housing in South Africa for "his" people and to provide the kind of seed money it takes to start small buisinesses to support them. He won't. Men like him don't share, no even with "their" people.

So good for the Episcopalians, just another reason to feel good about all the Catholic believers disgusted by Rome that I've sent to them over the years.

Rebl2

(16,404 posts)
55. No church
Mon May 12, 2025, 05:13 PM
May 12

should agree to help them. Trump brought them here. Let him or governor desatan move in with them.

RainCaster

(12,875 posts)
57. Excellent! I'm so glad to see a church follow Jesus
Mon May 12, 2025, 06:59 PM
May 12

Too many are afraid to say anything for fear of offending someone.

electric_blue68

(21,525 posts)
59. Excellent! One of my 2 favorite churches in NYC: St John The Divine Cathedral is Episcopalian. Gogeous building with....
Mon May 12, 2025, 07:24 PM
May 12

many, many good works done and current.

Beautiful, and sometimes intense art works permanent, or temporary. Beautiful, gentle, and powerful organ music. Wonderful chours. Special pulpit speeches. Special events. Renowned Blessing of the Animals event and Mass.

sir pball

(5,004 posts)
63. I was baptized Episcopalian...in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.
Mon May 12, 2025, 08:37 PM
May 12

Not even kidding, if you go pay the nominal fee (it's worth it) and go round back to the baptimsal font…that's where I got my head dipped. My mom's family lived just around the corner, 445 Riverside, so it was their home church!

I've long since lapsed but never formally renounced; I've never felt the need since The Church is about as on the right side as it gets, and I get to play the WASP card for kicks…not only were 11 Presidents, including Washington, Episcopalian, but when I was growing up in my small New England town we had to go to the GOOD Episcopalian church, not the declassé one across the street*, or worse yet the one actually in town that was just for the nouveaus. I mean, my family was literally one of Lovecraft's "gently bred" bloodlines of New England so we had to maintain appearances.

* - The one across the street was destroyed by a tornado, so there may have been a point there…

slightlv

(5,582 posts)
65. I am so happy to see a large, mainstream church
Mon May 12, 2025, 09:30 PM
May 12

come out in such strong terms to trump and his white nationalist actions. They do this, knowing that they are now on the enemies' list and will probably have their tax exemption screwed around with... as well as having to field all kinds of threats and actions from the Magas. Not to mention they are on the "not christian" list of the Dominionists.

mountain grammy

(27,839 posts)
66. Good for them!
Tue May 13, 2025, 12:04 AM
May 13

But I feel for future refugees who will not get the benefit of their help. That said, it's the right thing to do.

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